Artificial-stone building-block.



P. F. LANDIS.

ARTIFICIAL STONE BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 10, 1905.

Patented June 10, 1913.

W I [NVENTOR ITNESSES:

Alforley .ALUMBIA PLANOGRAP" c0.. wAsHINuTcN, n. c.

FRANK F. LANDIS, OF WAYNESBORO, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARTIFICIAL-STONE BUILDING-BLOCK.

Application filed October 10, 1905.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June it 1913.

Serial No. 282,148.

To ail whomit may concern Be it known that I, FRANK F. LANDIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVaynesboro, in the county of Franklin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial-Stone Building-Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

My said invention consists in certain improvements in the details of construct-ion of concrete or artificial-stone blocks for building-walls, and such like uses, whereby such a block is provided which may be conveniently and easily handled and one which will make a wall with oints which may be jointed up and finished conveniently and speedily, all as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure 1 shows a horizontal section through a portion of a wall including two right-angle corners, and with the ends finished square as for an opening for a door or window, Fig. 2 a view showing the outside face of the shorter leg of one of the main blocks 2 in elevation, as seen when looking in the direction indicated by the arrows from the dotted line 2-2 in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a view of the inside of one of the blocks 2, as seen from the dotted line 33, and Fig. 4 a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a corner of a bay window, or similar wall, built from blocks of my improved form.

The several blocks are made of a size and shape to fit in the different posit-ions where they are to be used. The outside corner blocks 1 are formed with both outside faces of the design which it is intended the wall shall have and are placed in reverse posi tions in alternate courses in the wall, in the usual manner, as will be readily understood. The main blocks 2 for forming the outside and inside of the wall are of uniform size except where openings are to be formed for doors or windows, where blocks such as 3, d, 5 and 6 are provided to fit into the spaces and form a rectangular opening in the wall, a recess 7 being leftnbetween the parts into which a wooden joist may be inserted for attaching the door frames, or a sash-weight box for windows, in the usual manner. Short corner blocks 8 for the inside of the corners are provided so that the inside blocks of alternate courses may be arranged to break joints in the. usual manner. When a corner similar to that shown in Fig. 4 is tobe built the corner blocks 9 and 19, respectively, will be formed with their two legs extending at an angle to each other appropriate for the purpose, as shown, and as is common. The general arrangement and construction of the blocks are thus not materially different from many of those in common use. The common construction of building blocks, however, is of an inconvenient form to handle requiring the use of both hands to lift into place and adjust into position, and the ends of the several blocks are usually of a square or irregular form, leaving open joints through the wall which are difficult to fill with mortar.

As will be noticed each one of my improved blocks is formed with a lug 1O having a recess into the main body of the block on both sides of said lug. These lugs are located at the approximate center of gravity in the block and serve as handles for handling them. By seizing hold of the lug with one hand the block may be lifted without using the other hand, or the other hand may at the same time be employed to carry another block in the same manner, thus adding greatly to the convenience with which said blocks may be handled, both in carrying them to the place where they are to be used and in adjusting them in the desired position in the wall. The ends of each block where they abut are formed slightly tapered from a point near the inner face of each block to its outer face and from said point to said inner faces they are rounded, so that the ends of the adjacent blocks when placed in position abut against each other at narrow points, thus forming a V-shaped vertical recess a from said abutting point to said outer face of the wall into which the mortar for jointing may be rapidly placed because it will be held by the closed bottom of said recess and not press through to within the wall. Such joints may also be quickly and easily finished by a beading tool in the well known manner. The narrow abutment greatly facilitates the fitting of said blocks together. This form of joint is also of decided advantage inasmuch as it requires less mortar for jointing and keeps said mortar from being wasted by being forced through the joints to within the wall. It also insures a uniform joint and one which can be neatly and rapidly finished. The ends of said blocks are formed wit-h transverse depressions or notches 11 and 12, as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, and indicated by dotted lines in the other figures, which enable them to embrace one of the lugs 15 when they come into the same position in connection with the adjacent blocks,-as indicated at several points in Fig. 1.

The lugs 15 are formed on the out-er bonding face of each block where it joins to the end of the next block, as adjacent to recess or joint a. Said lugs are positioned a little to one side of the center between the top and bottom of each block and a corresponding depression, or recess, 16, is formed in the block adjacent thereto on the wide side. By this means where two of said bonding faces come together as, for example, at joint 0 between blocks 8 and 2, and 5 and 2, respectively, on the inside of the wall, at the left in Fig. 1, the blocks are selected so that the lug 15 of one will fit in the depression 16 of the other and thus form a double bonded joint. At the joints (0 said lugs 15 fit into the notches 11 or 12, as the case may be, forming a bond and also a convenient guide to determine the position of the end of the adjacent block horizontally. By this means an inter-locking joint is formed between the several blocks in the wall and a very substantial structure thus provided. The lugs 15 are also of conveni ence to aid placing the blocks in correct position in the wall, which by their aid is accomplished more rapidly and at less expense than without them. Said lugs 15 being nearly midway between the lower and upper edges of the blocks and the recesses therefore being larger than the lugs, a one point contact is provided which does not require fitting as would a lug the entire height of the block, especially when said blocks are warped or twisted. With the one point contact between the lower and upper edges these inaccuracies are always accommodated. Outside corner blocks 1 are formed without said lug 15 and recess 16, not being needed in the particular use for which they are designed.

Having thus fully described my said invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a wall structure, a building block comprising an outer wall portion and a transverse bonding leg and formed with a projecting lug extending horizontally on its inside and between depressions therein and located near the center of gravity, forming a handle for lifting and handling said block, and having notches in its ends, a lug on the outer face of its transverse bonding leg and a depression alongside thereof, said parts being adapted to inter-engage with corre sponding parts of adjacent blocks, substantially as set forth.

2. In a wall structure a building block comprising an outer wall portion and a transverse bonding leg and formed with a projecting longitudinally extending lug near the center of gravity on its inside surface and having a recess on each side of said lug, an end of said block being formed with a transverse recess, and a lug and depression side by side being formed on the outer face of the bonding leg of the block, the ends being formed tapered outwardly from an intermediate point and inwardly from said point, whereby they are adapted to form V-shaped joints between the adjacent blocks of the wall, all substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I, have hereunto set my hand and seal at Vaynesboro, Pennsyl vania, this 19th day of September, A. T).. nineteen hundred and five.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

